I can’t quite place when my obsession with chilli began, but last summer things really got out of hand as every weekend BBQ and dinner out in Chinatown became an opportunity to up the ante.
So now, as the weather is starting to warm up again, I thought I’d share this quick and easy sauce, which can be easily adapted to suit any level of tolerance. You don’t get much more versatile than sriracha, and it goes great with any seafood, meat or rice dish – or even eggs at breakfast.
One of the reasons I really love the home-made approach is control over the amount of sugar used. I often find store-bought varieties are not only lacking in eye-watering heat, but notoriously sweet as well.
A bit like any acquired taste, once you get over the initial scalding shock, you start to notice subtleties and flavours in different types of chilli condiments that were missed by your singed tastebuds before. If your first mix isn’t quite on the money, try a different variety, or add some red capsicum (bell pepper) to fill out the flavour.
There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained from cultivating your own chillies. You can buy a plant from your local garden centre or in Australia you can order seeds from The Chilli Factory. I’m lucky enough to have a friend who is more committed to the chilli cause than me, and so raided (read: cleaned out) his habanero bush…
- 250 grams chopped chillies
- 3 – 4 garlic cloves, to taste
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 – 2 tablespoons raw sugar
- Chop the chilli and garlic, and place in a bowl with the salt and vinegar. Stir and let sit for a few hours or overnight.
- When ready, pour the mixture into a small pot and add sugar.
- Bring to a boil quickly, then lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes until sugar is dissolved and sauce just begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, blend until a smooth, bright orange mixture forms.
- Pour into jar, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Image credit: Rhys Taylor
[…] Originally posted on Seasonal Sunday Lunch. […]